In this essay, my aim is to guide you through the metaphor of rats in H.P. Lovecraft’s “Rats in the Walls.” To begin, it will be important to introduce the author and discuss his influence in the book. Then, after giving a brief overview of the book and the role of the rats within it, I will discuss how the rats represent Delapore’s ever-changing mind. This mind transformation that Delapore experiences throughout the book is portrayed by the rats’ guidance. In the later paragraphs, the role of the rats will be analyzed in further depth.

To begin, to better understand the piece of literature, the reader must understand the mastermind behind the text. Though he is an author of intellectual pieces of literature, many modern critics have labeled H.P. Lovecraft as a racist who includes racist insinuations in his work. But more important to note is that while many criticize him for his racism, Lovecraft’s disgust for humanity does not stop at one particular race. H.P. Lovecraft goes on to have an utmost disdain for the human race itself. Under the influence of his heavily revulsive mindset, Lovecraft orchestrates work of literature that emphasize human degeneration and, as a result, human destruction. Since most readers have experienced a feeling of disdain towards society at least once, Lovecraft’s work is, in a way, relatable. Like Lovecraft, we have believed at least once that humans must be heading towards some form of destruction. As a result, according to Laura Miller on Salon, Lovecraft’s literature, “speaks to a gnarled, doomy, and phobic corner of human nature that all of us visit from time to time.” Through this catharsis element within “Rats in the Walls,” readers can expect to release the revulsive, bottled-up emotions of human devolution. 

In this piece of literature, Lovecraft divides the concept of devolution into three stages – questioning, exploration, and destruction. Using a strong-minded, independent character, one that most of human society is able to relate to, Lovecraft begins to shape the revulsive idea of human destruction. By first establishing Mr. Delapore, readers can place themselves within the book. But, Lovecraft goes to an unconventional route. Instead of giving the narrator an omniscient role, Lovecraft creates rats to be the master-mind behind Delapore’s operations. Only under the influence of rats- Mr. Delapore’s ever-changing mindset- is Delapore truly able to function. Throughout this short story, the rats, creatures of cunningness and exploration, guide Delapore around his home and into the deepest depths of human society. By establishing the rats as a metaphor for Delapore’s brain, Lovecraft develops the concept that cunningness and exploration lead to destruction. Or, in simpler terms, evolution is precisely the cause of devolution.

In “Rats in the Walls,” Lovecraft first mentions the modern presence of rats on page 88, describing how “no trace remained of what had been caught.” Setting the stage, Lovecraft plainly describes to the reader that the rats do not truly exist as physical beings. By placing this idea of non-existing rats running free within a physically existing home in the readers mind, Lovecraft builds an idea upon which he will continue to build throughout the rest of the book- the idea they’re an imaginary being. While the home’s staff members are unaware that any cunning creatures are running free, we are given the perception into Mr. Delapore’s world- the only man who is able to hear the creatures. This gives the reader a chance to see the rats are not psychical beings. Instead, it’s an introduction to tell the reader that the rats are more than a physical entity- they’re a disease, a poison that cannot be caught. Once again, the lack of physical rats is later confirmed when Mr. Delapore “mentioned that there had been no rats there for three hundred years” (Lovecraft 80). Lovecraft sets up the scene that physical rats could not possibly exist within Exham Priory. As readers, we now know it could not be rats within the walls causing the commotion for Mr. Delapore at night.  

After establishing the fact the rats are immortal, H.P. Lovecraft leads the reader into the first encounter with these so-called “ghost rats.” Late into the night, Delapore hears a “distinct scurrying as of rats or mice” within the walls of Exham Priory (81). This first true encounter is when Delapore is still in the questioning stage of the story. The rats introduce themselves to only this man, a man with a desire to uncover history and to explore. This introduction is the first time we are able to qualify the rats as the manifestation of a mental state of being. This is a mental state in which rats, creatures of cunningness, are a personified version of a man’s desire to explore, and to uncover. 

Following this stage of questioning is, as Lovecraft establishes, the stage of exploration. After establishing the rats as a physical manifestation of a man’s desire to explore, Lovecraft leads the reader into the next stage of devolution- the stage of exploration. Knowing the rats exist, Delapore is “genuinely perplexed at the presence of rats,” intrigued by where they are and where they possibly could be going (81). This drive, the drive for exploration is what leads him to the deepest depths of his family history. But, the rats do not stop as simply representing the drive for exploration. Instead, they literally guide Delapore throughout his home. Physically guided by a non-existent entity, Delapore begins digging deeper into his home, finding new unground chambers and taboo writings. But it’s not as if the rats play a passive role in guiding him. Instead, they actively guide him, constantly driving him deeper. This represents how human nature’s drive for exploration is continuous and never ceasing. No matter how far into space we go or how deep into the ocean we travel, we will never be content with what we find. At this point, important to note is Delapore’s shift in his description of the rats within the walls. No longer does he simply describe them as rats, possibly field mice. Instead, on page 81, he clarifies them as being “ravenous, gigantic rats.” By making this clarification we see the rats as being big, hungry monsters. By establishing the rats as hungry beasts, Lovecraft sets the reader up for the next and final stage of devolution- destruction.

After guiding the reader through the exploration stage, Lovecraft finally comes to make his point- exploration leads to destruction. After following the rats into an ancient, secret vault, Delapore sees the result of human exploration- human “bones [that] were gnawed, mostly by rats” (87). Immediately after the exploration phase of devolution, Lovecraft takes the reader into the destruction phase- the result of curiosity. This quick transition shows the reader that there is not a lot of time between progressive exploration and destruction. Delapore then takes a turn for the worst and experiences his own personal destruction as well. After losing his friends and his sanity, he locked away into a mental hospital where he still hears rats running rampant. Lovecraft uses Delapore to show that destruction happens only to those who individually seek to explore. Had Delapore never began with the question of what happened in history, he would have never been led to destruction.  

In conclusion, rats, animals of cunningness and exploration are used to demonstrate how advances in society lead to the destruction of society. Guiding Delapore through questioning, exploration, and devolution, the rats are a physical manifestation of a mental state of mind- one which all humans possess. The drive to explore, to uncover new secrets are, as Lovecraft desires to show the reader, exactly what leads to the destruction of mankind. 
